BYLAWS of the ISMRM Latin American Chapter

1. Purpose

The Latin American Chapter (hereinafter in these ByLaws referred to as the “Chapter”) represents the International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) in Latin America and activities related to the application of MR to medicine and biology in Latin America.

The purposes of the Chapter are:

(i) To promote and encourage research, development, applications, and communicationof information on magnetic resonance in medicine and biology, and other related topics within Latin American communities.

(ii) To support continuing education in the field of magnetic resonance in medicine andbiology and other related topics.

(iii) To perform charitable, public understanding and outreach activities with respect tomagnetic resonance applications in medicine and biology and other related topics.

(iv) To encourage scientists and clinicians working in magnetic resonance to contributeto the field of magnetic resonance in medicine and biology in Latin America and to the ISMRM.

(v) To promote opportunities for collaboration between professionals of magneticresonance in medicine and biology working or studying in Latin America and professionals working or studying in the rest of the world, especially those with Latin American roots.

(vi) To provide information and advice on magnetic resonance in medicine and biologyand other related topics, to interested organizations from all sectors, including local, regional and national governments.

(vii) To cooperate with local, regional, and national authorities as well as academicorganizations, public or private institutions in Latin America to achieve the aforementioned objectives.

2. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Policy

The Chapter is open to all those working or studying in the field of magnetic resonance in medicine and biology. The Chapter recognizes and supports good scientific work regardless of any characteristics of personal identity such as gender, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion, sexual orientation, education, socio-economic background, language, political beliefs, or age.

The Chapter is dedicated to equal opportunities and has zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment.

The Chapter expects all members to adhere to the EDI policy and to act with respect towards each other when participating in the Chapter events, activities, or serving in committees. Failure to act in this way will lead to removal from the event or activity and/or loss of membership of the Chapter.

The Equity Officer, a member of the Chapter Executive Committee (detailed in the Section 4 of this ByLaws) will monitor implementation of the Chapter EDI policy and ensure that all the Chapter activities fully recognize merit in an unbiased manner and support the Chapter members at all career stages.

3. Membership

1) ** ** Full Membership is open to those who are Full Members of ISMRM or ISMRT, who are either resident in Latin American countries (any nationality) or who are citizens of Latin American countries but are studying or working in another country, on registration and payment of the annual subscription (if such a subscription is levied).

Full Members are eligible to vote, to serve on the Latin American Chapter committees, and to receive discounted registration fees when attending Latin American Chapter activities.

2) ** ** Ordinary Membership is open to any professional with an interest in magnetic resonance and its application to medicine and biology, and who is either a resident in Latin American countries (any nationality), or who is a citizen of Latin American countries but is based in another country, on registration and payment of the annual subscription (if such a subscription is levied). Ordinary Members are non-voting members.

3) ** ** Trainee Membership is open to residents, fellows, or students (ISMRM/ISMRT Trainee

Members or not), as long as they are registered for a degree in a relevant field of study, whether full-time or part-time, undergraduate or postgraduate, in any high education institution in Latin America or hold citizenship in any Latin American country.

Trainees who have received their terminal degrees (PhD, or MD) within the last five years are eligible for Trainee Membership. Anyone holding a faculty or consultant position is not eligible for Trainee Membership in the Latin American Chapter.

Trainee Members will have access to discounted registration fees when attending Chapter activities.

Trainee Members can serve on committees as Trainee representatives for up to 2 years.

Trainees who have received their terminal degrees can also serve on the Assistant Committee as Regional or Diaspora Representatives. Trainee Members are non-voting members of the Latin American Chapter, unless their vote is required to elect Trainee representatives, within Assistant Committee duties.

4. Governance

4.1. Executive Committee Duties

The Chapter shall be governed by an Executive Committee of five Full Chapter Members, and two non-voting Trainee representatives (fulfilling the definition of ISMRM Trainee). All requirements for Chapter governance per the ISMRM bylaws will be met. To assist the Executive Committee, Regional and Diaspora Representatives will be designated yearly by the Executive Committee.

Aiming to include committee members representing the rich diversity of the region, the Executive Committee will comprise at least 1 member from North and Middle America, 1 member from Tropical South America, 1 member from the Pacific Southern Cone, and 1 member from the Atlantic Southern Cone, when sufficient members are available and willing to participate in the committee. These macro-zones¹ will also be used to define the minimum number of Regional Representatives.

Executive Committee members shall serve for 3 years in one position, plus up to one year of transition if required by the upcoming Executive Committee. The Trainee Representative shall serve for 2 years, elected yearly (1 per year). Trainee

Representatives in their second year will act as Past-Representative. Regional and Diaspora Representatives shall serve for 1 year and can be designated again for the same role for a maximum of 3 consecutive years.

The Executive Committee shall meet at least once each year and shall hold an annual general business meeting of the Chapter at the Annual Meeting of the ISMRM, at which ¹ Refer to the Annex for more details about the countries included in each macro-zone

it will report the year’s activities to the members. In addition, a scientific annual meeting will be held, hosted in-person or virtually, chaired by a Regional Representative, and overseen by the Executive Committee.

Decisions shall be taken by majority vote of Executive Committee members, with the Chair having an additional casting vote in case of a tie.

Any member of the Executive Committee can be removed from their position if deemed to be unable to perform his or her duties by a majority of the Committee members. In any case where a member is removed or vacates a position, the duties of the member will be temporarily transferred to another member of the committee until elections to replace the position are held at the next annual business meeting.

4.2. Nominations and Elections

The Executive committee members will be elected by a secret ballot of the Full Chapter members before the annual business meeting. A call for nominations will be made at least two months before the annual business meeting by email to all Members. Nominations can be made by any Full Member (and may include self-nomination). Nominees must be Full members of the ISMRM and Full Chapter Members in good standing for three consecutive years prior to nomination (including years as Trainee members). A committee member may be nominated for another position after the end of the term of their current position. In the case there is more than one candidate for a given vacancy then an electronic ballot of the committee will be organized by the Secretary of the Executive Committee.

One Trainee Representative will be elected by a secret ballot of Trainee members of the Chapter before the annual business meeting. A call for nominations will be made at least 2 months before the annual general meeting by email.

Regional Representatives and Diaspora Representatives will form an Advisory Committee assisting the duties of the Executive Committee. These members will be elected yearly by the Executive committee, representing the regional variety of Chapter members, with at least one Regional Representative for each macro-region outlined in 4.1. and should not exceed one per country. Diaspora Representatives will be elected with a maximum of 1 representative per region contained within another ISMRM Chapter.

The organization of the Chapter’s Annual Scientific Meeting shall be chaired annually by a member of the Regional Representatives Committee, and overseen by The Vice Chair of the Executive Committee.

4.3. Executive Committee Positions

1) The Chair shall be a full member of ISMRM, and will oversee the efficient functioning of the Chapter, convene, and chair all meetings of the Executive Committee, oversee approval of scientific seminars, workshops, and educational programs proposed to the chapter, and liaise with the ISMRM Central Office for matters concerning the Chapter. The Chair will also submit reports to the ISMRM Board of Trustees, and coordinate the chapter’s business meeting at The Annual Scientific Meeting of ISMRM

2) The Vice-Chair shall be a full member of ISMRM. The Vice Chair will assist The Chair in conducting their duties and take over the responsibilities of The Chair at the Chair’s request or in the Chair’s absence. The Vice-Chair will also serve as the annual scientific meeting coordinator and shall oversee the organization of the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Latin American Chapter of the ISMRM (in person or virtually), including establishing the Local Organizing Committee (chaired by a Regional Representative). The Vice-chair will assist the Chair in coordinating the chapter’s business meeting at The Annual Scientific Meeting of ISMRM.

3) The Secretary will keep records of the Chapter’s committee meetings, organize elections, oversee membership enrollment, maintain the membership directory, and prepare reports to the ISMRM Board of Trustees.

4) The Treasurer will hold any cash balances, authorize expenditure at the instruction of the Chair, keep financial records, and submit records to the parent society (ISMRM) each year, or whenever required, and coordinate fundraising efforts. The Treasurer is also responsible for providing accounting reports of Chapter’s revenue and expenditure to the ISMRM Central Office upon request by the Society’s accountant, in accordance with the ISMRM Bylaws.

5) The Communication Representative shall oversee and update the chapter’s webpages and social media channels, and organize social activities and networking events. The Communication Representative will also be responsible for compiling and editing the Chapter’s Annual meeting proceedings.

6) The Trainee Representatives shall assist the Executive Committee in promoting the activities of the Chapter, including managing the website and social media channels as instructed by the Communication Representative. The trainee representatives will also assist the Communication Representative in organizing social activities and networking events.

4.4. Assisting Committee Positions

1) Regional Representatives will assist the Communication Representative in promoting ISMRM and the ISMRM Latin American Chapter activities to the members in their region, through dissemination and communication of the Chapter’s activities including conferences, workshops, meeting and networking events. The Regional Representatives shall under the direction of the Vice-Chair coordinate efforts to implement the Chapter’s purpose and objectives within their region including planning regional or annual Chapter meetings.

2) Diaspora Representatives shall be responsible for mainstreaming diaspora inclusion and participation in Chapter activities. The Diaspora Representatives shall assist the Executive Committee in mapping of Latin American MRI scientists in the diaspora around the world and in coordinating collaborations between the Chapter and Diaspora organizations.

4.5. The Equity Officer

The Equity Officer ** ** shall ensure that the Chapter maintains its commitment to promote a respectful environment where everyone across the region is valued and can participate in the Chapter’s activities regardless of their age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, physical abilities, socio-economic status, or political beliefs. The Equity Officer will document and report statistics regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion of all Chapter activities, events, and committees annually. The Equity Officer will review complaints of harassment or issues related to equity, diversity, or inclusion concerns and present these issues to the Executive Committee for deliberation. The Equity Officer will lead initiatives to increase engagement and inclusivity in underrepresented Chapter regions in Latin America.

The Equity Officer will be designated from the members of the Executive Committee, with the position given by default to the Trainee Past-Representative or the Treasurer in his absence.

5. Subscription and Finances

The annual subscription shall be decided by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall maintain one or more bank accounts in the Chapter’s name. Cheques drawn on the accounts shall be signed by any of the following officers: The Treasurer, the Chair, the Vice-Chair, or the Secretary.

The Chapter will aim to hold reserves sufficient to cover the cost of the Chapter’s annual meetings and other annual running costs.

For the purposes of registering at meetings, we will use the ISMRM definition of trainees for giving reduced rates for registration, unless otherwise specified.

6. Modification of the Bylaws

These Bylaws may be modified by a motion passed by a majority of the Executive Committee and ratified by a simple majority of those voting in a ballot of the membership.

Last revision: June, 21st 2024. Minor changes: February, 4^th 2025 (see Annex’s disclaimer)

Annex

As used in this document, the territories (countries) used to define the macro-zones are:

- North and Middle America: this includes Mexico, the seven countries of Central America, and the 13 island countries and 18 territories of the Caribbean. This excludes the United States of America, Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

- Tropical South America: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.

- Pacific Southern Cone: Chile

- Atlantic Southern Cone: Argentina and Uruguay.

This division takes into account geographic distances and the number of ISMRM members at each region, at the time or writing of these Bylaws.

DISCLAIMER: Brazil is not included in this Chapter by petition of the ISMRM governance, as Brazil has its own Chapter.

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Program and functions for the first three years of operation:

1. Purpose

The inaugural purposes of the Chapter are:

(i) To promote and encourage research, development, applications, and communicationof information on magnetic resonance in medicine and biology, and other related topics within Latin American communities.

(ii) To encourage scientists and clinicians working in magnetic resonance to contributeto the field of magnetic resonance in medicine and biology in Latin America and to the ISMRM.

(iii) To foster opportunities for collaboration between professionals of magneticresonance in medicine and biology working or studying in Latin America and professionals working or studying in the rest of the world, especially those with Latin American roots.

As such, the Chapter will aim to increase its membership by inviting current and past members of the ISMRM to join, by building an exhaustive directory of candidates. In addition, the Chapter will promote the goals of the ISMRM in local Latin American communities by inviting professionals with an interest in magnetic resonance and its application to medicine and biology to join as Ordinary Chapter members.

2. Inaugural Executive Committee

An interim Executive Committee will be created for the sole purpose of the Latin American Chapter foundation and preparations for its first open elections, before the first Annual Meeting of the ISMRM after receiving the approval for its creation by the ISMRM Board of Trustees.

The inaugural Executive Committee was carefully chosen from outstanding ISMRM members, recognized by their long-standing experience in the Society. We considered current Trainee ISMRM members as part of the Inaugural Executive Committee as they have been recognized as Junior Fellows of the ISMRM, and will be Full ISMRM members in the next calendar year (and thus, available for a position in the Executive Committee at the first Chapter elections).

The members and duties of the Inaugural Executive Committee are described below:

1) The Chair will oversee the efficient functioning of the Chapter, convene, and chair all meetings of the Executive Committee, and liaise with the ISMRM Central Office for matters concerning the Chapter. The Chair will also submit reports to the ISMRM Board of Trustees, and coordinate the first Chapter’s business meeting at The Annual Scientific Meeting of ISMRM.

2) The Vice-Chair will assist The Chair in conducting their duties and take over the responsibilities of The Chair at the Chair’s request or in the Chair’s absence. The Vicechair will assist the Chair in coordinating the first Chapter’s business meeting at The Annual Scientific Meeting of ISMRM.

3) The Secretary will keep records of the Chapter’s committee meetings, organize the first elections, oversee membership enrollment, maintain the membership directory, and prepare reports to the ISMRM Board of Trustees.

4) The Treasurer and Equity Officer shall ensure that the Chapter maintains its commitment to promote a respectful environment where everyone across the region is valued and can participate in the Chapter’s activities regardless of their age, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, physical abilities, socio-economic status, or political beliefs. The Equity Officer will document and report statistics regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion of all Chapter activities, events, and committees at the first Chapter’s business meeting. The Equity Officer will review complaints of harassment or issues related to equity, diversity, or inclusion concerns and present these issues to the Executive Committee for deliberation. The Equity Officer will lead initiatives to increase engagement and inclusivity in under-represented Chapter regions in Latin America. In its role as Treasurer, this member will assist the Chair in his efforts towards registering the Latin American Chapter as a non-profit organization and setting up a bank account.

5) The Communication Representative shall oversee the creation of the chapter’s webpages and social media channels, and organize networking events.

6) The Trainee Representatives shall assist the Executive Committee in promoting the activities of the Chapter, including managing the website and social media channels as instructed by the Communication Representative. The trainee representative will also assist the Communication Representative in organizing the first social activity at the first ISMRM meeting, and other networking activities.

The members of the Inaugural Executive Committee are:

Role	Name (ID)	email	Affiliation	Country Affiliation	Country Origin	ISMRM status	Comment s
Chair	Carlos Milovic, Ph.D. (75542)	cmilovic@ uc.cl	Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile	Chile	Chile	ISMRM Full	Junior Fellow 2022
Vice-Chair	Camila Munoz, PhD (78551)	c.munozescobar@ imperial.a c.uk	Imperial College London	UK	Chile	ISMRM Trainee	Junior Fellow 2024, last year Trainee
Secretary	Analia Zwick, Ph.D. (106115)	analia.zwi ck@gmail .com	Centro Atomico Bariloche & Instituto Balseiro, CONICET, CNEA	Argentina	Argentina	ISMRM Full
Treasurer and Equity Officer	Paula Trujillo, Ph.D. (78445)	paula.truj illo@vum c.org	Vanderbilt University Medical Center	USA	Colombia	ISMRM Full
Communication Representative	Jessica Martínez, Ph.D. (85528)	jessica.m artinezm artinez@ nist.gov	NIST	USA	Mexico	ISMRM Trainee	Junior Fellow 2023, last year Trainee
Trainee Representative	Ronal Coronado Ph.D. (93478)	rmcorona do@uc.cl	Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile	Chile	Venezuela	ISMRM Trainee

The Inaugural Executive Committee will nominate Regional and Diaspora

Representatives, in concordance with the Bylaws, to assists in the efforts of promoting membership enrollment, and create a directory of current and past ISMRM members working in Latin American countries, or with citizenship of any of those countries.

The Inaugural Executive Committee shall submit a written report to the ISMRM Board of Trustees, including a summary of the Chapter’s activities at the end of its term. In addition, an accounting of the Chapter’s revenues and expenditures will be provided to the ISMRM Central Office upon request by the Society’s accountant, in accordance with the ISMRM Bylaws.

3. 3-year Governance Plan

The Latin American Chapter of the ISMRM will hold a three-day annual scientific meeting at a location within Latin America, starting in 2025, and alternating between the macrozones defined in the ByLaws (4.1) to promote local attendance. A local organizing committee will be established each year as detailed in the ByLaws (4.0 Governance) to plan the scientific meeting with the support of the Executive Committee. Hybrid and virtual options will be considered as well, to promote attendance from remote locations and countries with financial challenges.

Given the affiliations and connections of the Executive Committee, for the next three years, proposed host-sites for the annual scientific meetings are (in no particular order): Bariloche, Argentina (in collaboration with the Centro Atómico Bariloche & Instituto Balseiro), Ciudad de Mexico, Mexico (in collaboration with UAM Iztapalapa), Santiago, Chile (in collaboration with Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile). The Executive Committee will work with each of these host-sites to provide an affordable venue and accommodation for attendees.

The registration fee for attendance at the Latin American Chapter annual scientific meeting will be at a reduced rate for any ISMRM Member. To promote collaboration with other ISMRM Chapters and the general ISMRM community, the Executive Committee will liaise with the ISMRM Central Office and the ISMRM Annual Meeting

Program Committee (AMPC) to organize an evening networking event at the ISMRM Annual meeting akin to other Chapters events. This event will be open to everyone attending ISMRM, including exhibitors. The Executive Committee will also liaise with the ISMRM Central Office and AMPC to organize a business meeting during the ISMRM Annual Meeting regular sessions, to present the newly elected Executive Committee members, give the annual report to the Chapter’s members, and conduct any other vote required by its members.

The Latin American Chapter will enhance the benefits of ISMRM membership by encouraging the members of the chapter to participate in activities of ISMRM as well as volunteer to serve in the ISMRM committees where they are eligible.

The Executive Committee will actively solicit sponsorship of the chapter’s annual meetings for travel stipends and educational awards.

4. Finances

The Inaugural Executive Committee will not incur any direct expenses in this period. Indirect expenses (such as webpage hosting, or other services) should come as donations from institutional sponsorships.

Membership fees will be waived for all membership types during the inaugural period. The first elected Executive Committee will decide on membership fees for the subsequent 3-year period.

The Inaugural Executive Committee will work towards registering the Latin American Chapter as a non-profit organization and setting up a bank account. The legal residence of the Chapter will be in Santiago, Chile.

The Executive Committee will actively seek institutional sponsorship from local and foreign institutions to ensure its proper functioning and to work towards the successful execution of its goals. This includes the creation of a stipend program to promote the attendance of researchers and students from financially challenged regions at the Chapter’s and ISMRM activities.